If I Believe You
by herbologi
Summary: Draco Malfoy only agreed to be a spy for the Order on the following terms: if they keep his mother safe, and if he doesn’t have to attend his final year at Hogwarts. Little does he know, this will send him into an adventure of the unknown. I will be editing this a bit and rewriting before I continue. There’s so many grammatical errors and they are bothering me, so bear with me!
1. One

Draco paced through the corridors as the clock rang out, it was nearly two in the morning. He wondered what reason that crazy old Professor McGonagall had for summoning him from his bed at this hour, but her owl was insistent that he go right away. The previous year, Draco had taken a task from The Dark Lord in order to prove himself, as well as to stand up to his father and show that he was capable of anything.

Voldemort ordered him to kill Dumbledore.

Draco remembered that he thought about how he could not possibly follow through, but he had to because Lord Voldemort would have murdered him and his family. So Draco took the mark— it was supposed to be an honor— and attempted to do as he was told.

Draco finally reached McGonagall's office and before he could think to knock, the door was opened in front of him and closed once he entered.

"Sit, Mr. Malfoy," the old woman invited him as she motioned to the chair in front of her desk. She was in her dressing gown with a long overcoat on, eyebrows knit together and stress apparent in her features. Draco was sure she hadn't known, but she had been one of the Slytherin boy's favorite professors while at Hogwarts. Her quick wit and knowledge made her classes somewhat easy to bare.

"Mr. Malfoy, I'm assuming you are under the protection of the Dark Lord, am I correct in assuming that?" Professor McGonagall queried, and Draco studied her face for a moment.

"You would be correct," Draco answered after he calculated for a moment and relaxed into his chair a bit.

"Because if he weren't, I'd be willing to offer you protection in exchange for something," she pressed on. Draco knew for a fact the Dark Lord was anything but protecting him, more like threatening his family at every chance. Draco swallowed a breath of air and raised an eyebrow.

"In exchange for what?" Draco asked, but the woman shook her head pushing a piece of parchment his way.

"This is a contract. I will explain a few things to you, however I can not tell you the rest until you agree to this protection and sign this contract," McGonagall told him. This was a secret that couldn't get out. Draco read over the contract carefully.

"I, Draco Malloy, do hereby give my consent to be taken in by the Order of the Phoenix and protected from the powers of the Dark Lord to the best of their capability on the following terms;

I will sign a contract in my blood.

I must not tell anyone who could be in any direct or indirect contact with the Dark Lord or any of his followers.

I must swear secrecy to the Order.

I agree to be watched at all times by a member of the Order.

I consent to give any information of my knowledge that could help aid the Order to the downfall of the Dark Lord."

Draco read through the form a couple times before looking up at his professor who seemed in desperate need of his assistance.

"You want me to be your spy?" Draco asked in clarification, and McGonagall squeezed her eyes shut before regaining eye contact with the boy and nodding her head. She brandished her wand and summoned a quill, to which Draco would sign in his blood the contract before him. He sat in silence for a few moments, as his brain ticked over the risks and benefits.

"I do have a couple conditions," Draco finally spoke, his voice level as he set the parchment down, "I will ask for a few simple requests in order to help me better perform this. First one being my mother. I want her protected at all costs. If the Dark Lord were to find out about this, she will be the first one he goes for and I want to assure her safety," Draco began. McGonagall decided that was fair enough and waved her wand, a section appearing on the parchment for what Draco will get in return, and his mother's safety fell underneath that category.

"The next thing is that I'd like to not attend Hogwarts if I am to do this. It would be much to difficult for me to act like nothing is wrong in front of people who have known me most of my life," Draco listed.

McGonagall wracked her brain thinking of where she could hide Draco before it hit her. Harry was out on an adventure to find whatever it was that Dumbledore told him about last year. If Draco were to join him, they could know the Dark Lord's steps before he even took them. It was brilliant, however she knew neither boy would agree so she decided to keep it a secret, or surprise she thought. Yes, an unpleasant surprise.

"Of course," McGonagall agreed, "I actually have the perfect place for you, I'll just have to tie a few loose ends to make it happen," she explained, and this was true. She'd have to owl Harry and wait for a reply, it could take the week to accomplish, but she was hoping less.

"That's all I had in mind and you've agreed to both so I suppose we have come to an agreement," Draco took an anxious breath and skimmed the parchment once more with his eyes before taking the quill and signing the bottom of it, McGonagall signing underneath his name.

"I will have your mother relocated within the day, you may take up to a week, possibly less," McGonagall told him, and Draco nodded his head, a weight in his chest at what he'd just done. Part of him was disappointed in himself for stooping this low, but part of him felt a bit of relief at not being at the Dark Lord's mercy every time he called. "Oh and Draco?" the professor added, "You are not to mention this to Headmaster Snape," McGonagall demanded, and Draco's eyebrows furrowed but he nodded in response. The young boy glanced at a painting above McGonagall's desk that was currently empty, guessing that it was a portrait of Headmaster Dumbledore.

"I promise," Draco assured her slightly confused, however he decided that he could use some sleep if at all possible. The past year he'd become accustomed to little to no sleep, whenever he fell asleep his body never rested as he tossed and turned due to nightmares. But the young Slytherin never let it show, using potions to conceal the dark circles under his eyes.

The next few days went by unbearably slow, Draco awaited word from Professor McGonagall, however she told him she was waiting on an owl and that Draco should have his things packed regardless and be ready at a minute's notice. And so he was; he couldn't sit through the Carrows torturing any more children, he wanted to interject and make them stop, but he couldn't give away his stance.

He was on day three of not hearing back from McGonagall when his Aunt Bella decided to pay the castle a visit with an order from Lord Voldemort. That was the thing about Snape being headmaster, any Death Eater could just stroll in and out of the castle as they pleased and it set the student population at unease.

"Draco dear, you haven't seen that scarhead around here, have you?" Bellatrix gave an evil grin, moving a strand of hair out of her face using her wand. Draco shook his head and remained quiet.

"And have you heard from your mother? She ran off the other day and hasn't come back," the maniacal woman grilled him.

"No. She didn't say where she was going?" Draco asked, feigning worry for his mother. Bellatrix giggled and let out a sigh before she pat Draco on the head and skipped away from him. There were many encounters like this from quite a few different people throughout the day, and quite frankly Draco was getting tired of the constant interrogations.

After Transfiguration class, Draco stayed back and approached his Professor's desk, the woman greeting him with a rare smile.

"Mr. Malfoy. I'll ask that you meet me in my office with your belongings at three tomorrow morning," she spoke quietly, and the Slytherin's eyebrows rose. He nodded his head in shock as he'd been expecting bad news, and was quickly on his way out. He wished he could skip the rest of his classes that day, but that would raise suspicion. Draco had to spend the rest of the day acting as if nothing had changed.

 _*A few days earlier*_

"Mrs. Weasley, we can assure you that though you will want to turn this guest away, she has promised to remain civil," Lupin explained, standing the redhead up and leading her to the front door. Molly had thought about all of the people it could be and would only turn away very few people

"I told you Remus, I'm willing to take anyone in so long as they agree to help our cause," Mrs. Weasley smiled, and when Lupin opened the door her jaw dropped. There stood a woman with an emerald green overcoat, the hood up to shield her platinum blonde hair and ivory skin.

"Narcissa," Molly grumbled and her nose scrunched up. The woman gave her a cold look, however her eyes were pleading silently. Molly could tell she had no intentions of fighting, so she stepped aside and allowed the woman into her house.

"Thank you Molly," Narcissa gave a ghost of a smile before holding her hand out to the witch before her. Molly was shocked, however she took the woman's hand and shook it. Sure, it had never been this woman to put her family down, but she sure as hell never tried to stop it. But then again, Molly didn't try to pull her husband away from the arguments either.

"So we're okay then?" Lupin clarified, stepping back and looking back and forth between these women. They both nodded, and Molly offered to grab one of Narcissa's bags as a sign of peace. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

 _*Present day*_

Draco finished his dinner and decided to go to the library so he didn't have to deal with any of his classmates. These were his last hours at Hogwarts, he wanted them to be peaceful; easy to deal with. So he picked a table in the far corner and sat down with a book. His eyes skimmed over the words but his brain was elsewhere, wondering where he would be relocated to. He'd gotten news that his mother was with the Weasleys and was actually enjoying herself, but Draco hoped he wouldn't end up in the same place.

After some time, Draco decided to go down to his dormitory and pack all of his things into a small book bag with an expansion charm on it, and lay in bed until he was told to go up to McGonagall. It neared midnight and his peers were all asleep as Draco played with his wand, sending different colored ribbons of light out the tip.

"Finally," Draco mumbled as the clock tower rang out, only able to hear it faintly but it was indeed three chimes. He slung the backpack over his shoulder and gave his dormitory one last look. This was supposed to be a sad moment for Draco, bittersweet even, but all he could feel was happiness at the chance of a new start. He nearly ran to McGonagall's office and pushed the door open without knocking, and what he saw when he entered sucked the happiness from every fiber of his being.

"Potter?" he spat, tossing his bag aside and looking at his Professor as if she were mental. Potter stood next to McGonagall looking very thin and beat up, face dirty and body riddled with scrapes and cuts. The boy seemed as if he didn't know he would be bringing Draco along as he was now pulling his wand on the boy.

"Malfoy is coming with us? You're serious? It could have been anyone else?" Potter whined, and the two went back and forth for a minute before McGonagall waved at them to stop.

"You signed a contract, and you also Harry. You will act kindly toward one another, or at least don't say anything at all," McGonagall demanded, "Draco has agreed to help us, and I see this as a fit job for you Draco. And Harry, Draco needs eyes on him at every moment to ensure his safety," McGonagall explained, and Harry thought just then that she sounded more loony than Dumbledore himself. But Snape was questionable as a spy, so Harry decided he could bring himself to understand this. But he sure as hell wouldn't like it.

"I'm not getting the others to like him. Or even treat him kindly for that matter. He tortured the three of us for six years Professor," Harry started, but was stopped once again.

"They will treat him with the same treatment they would like back from Mr. Malfoy," McGonagall told him, and Malfoy picked his bag up.

"Now I would like to let you know that I want check-ins monthly, to make sure you haven't killed each other," McGonagall explained, and Draco cut in.

"How many people do I have to deal with?" Draco asked with a groan. He could hardly deal with Potter, assuming his friends were with him as well. Harry rolled his eyes and reached a hand out to Draco.

"I will guess you're better at apparition than I am so I need you to do this," Harry explained. McGonagall watched them close as Draco reached for Harry's hand, who she was surprised was keeping his cool. She was pleasantly surprised by the both of them in all honesty. They haven't murdered each other yet.

Harry leaned forward and whispered the location in Draco's ear with a side glance at McGonagall before they were gone. This was going to be a long year.


	2. Two

Draco felt his navel being pulled in and before long, his and Harry's feet hit solid ground in the middle of a street. He knew it wasn't the road that Weasley lived on, it couldn't be where Granger lived, but when he glanced at the street sign, Grimmauld Place, it seemed familiar to him. Harry waved his wand and out of the building appeared a porch step for Number Twelve.

"This is our headquarters, Sirius Black donated it to our cause and left it to me in his will," Harry explained as he walked towards the door and motioned for Draco to follow him. The blonde-haired boy reluctantly fell into step with Potter as they went inside and shit, it was dirty, Draco thought.

The place was an absolute wreck, but Harry didn't seem to mind. They continued into the house where Draco saw Granger and Weasley sleeping, the redhead was on the floor and his hand on the couch holding Granger's. Draco feigned a gag and realized Potter didn't find it very funny, before they continued to the kitchen.

"Would it kill you to clean the place up a bit?" Draco groaned, flicking his wand and causing all the dust in the kitchen to disappear. Harry sighed and pulled out two cups, placing them down.

"How do you take your tea?" Potter asked, and Draco was taken aback. "Well we've got to catch up I suppose, and I've got time," Potter mumbled, putting a kettle on as he pulled some milk from the fridge.

"Milk and two sugars," Draco mumbled, setting his backpack on the table. He could hardly believe this, but it wasn't sure to last long. Both boys knew how hot-tempered Weasley was, so it was almost mutually a calm before the storm. Potter came to the table with their cups and set them down, motioning for Draco to sit.

"So was this your idea? Being a spy for us I mean," Potter started, and Draco had been quite tired of all the interrogations that week but this felt different. Less judgmental.

"Ah, no. McGonagall presented the idea to me a few days ago," Draco answered before picking up the cup and sipping off it. Truth be told, he hadn't had a cup of tea this good since his third year on holiday. He set the cup down in front of him and played with the spoon.

"Why did you agree?" Harry pressed, and Draco rolled his eyes with a smirk.

"Because there was something in it for me of course," the Slytherin replied simply, not intending to give more information than that. Harry could see this was going nowhere so he attempted making small talk.

"So uh, we're planning on breaking into the Ministry of Magic," Harry gave a sheepish grin, to which Draco scoffed.

"And how exactly do you plan on that?" Draco asked, leaning back in his chair and becoming a bit more comfortable. Harry got up and brought a sheet of parchment to the table.

"We were all going to take polyjuice potion," Harry began, going through a few notions of their plan without giving away too much.

"What is so important that the most wanted wizard in the world is going to serve up his head on a silver platter?" Draco asked, leaning forward and finishing his tea.

"I uh... we can't tell you that," Harry mumbled, "Professor McGonagall doesn't even know," he continued as if it would make Draco feel better. Harry heard footsteps coming towards the kitchen and saw Hermione poke her head in.

"Harry?" she asked sleepily, rubbing her eyes and glancing at Draco with a disgusted look. As soon as it registered in her head, her wand was out and pointed at the slimy git.

"What is he doing here?" Hermione growled, Ron joining them shortly after and pulling his wand.

"He's on our side," Harry attempted to calm his friends down, "McGonagall talked to both of us and we came to an... agreement of sorts. We clearly can't trust Snape, and McGonagall thinks it would do us some good to have him as our spy," Harry explained. Hermione was the first to accept this and relaxed her arm, bringing it down.

"But it's Malfoy," Ron spat and fired a spell. Little did he know, Malfoy had practiced wandless magic over the summer and could at the very least produce a shield charm. Hermione tried pulling Ron's arm down but the man didn't want to give it up so fast.

"He's the reason Dumbledore is gone!" Ron shouted, but Draco shook his head and felt... shame? Guilt?

"No Ronald, Snape is the reason Dumbledore died, not Malfoy. Come on you arse, a duel surely won't help this situation," Hermione reasoned with him. Eventually, he lowered his wand and left the room to go back to the couch and sulk.

"Not as bad as I thought," Harry shrugged and gave Malfoy a smile. Hermione went to the stove and began cooking breakfast with a yawn.

"You're not forgiven. I am just smart enough to see that killing you will solve nothing," Hermione told him before turning back to her pan and waving her wand as she began cleaning dishes. Draco decided he would accept that, and decided he should probably shrink into a corner of the house.

"Where will I be staying?" Draco asked Harry, who thought for a minute before standing and walking up the stairs. Harry didn't want anyone in his godfather's room, however he decided that Malfoy would be fine in one of the guest rooms all the way at the top of the house. Draco had grabbed his backpack and followed Harry all the way to the top before the Gryffindor bloke left him to his thoughts.

Draco didn't deserve this, he knew what he truly deserved and it wasn't all these favors done for some simple information. He began unpacking some of the contents of his bag, changing into different clothes and settling into bed to read their potions textbook. After a half hour, there was a soft knock at Draco's door.

"Come in," Draco replies, hopefully loud enough. And in came Hermione Granger with a plate of food and a cup of juice. She set it on the night table without a word and began walking out before Draco stopped her.

"Did you need help brewing that polyjuice potion?" Draco asked, and Hermione couldn't help but roll her eyes as she turned around.

"Look, I know Harry seems very easily forgiving and all but you and me are not friends. I'd prefer to not talk to you and much less have your help on a potion that I've been brewing since second year," Hermione ranted with her hand on her hip, "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to try to make something of this place while others sit around reading and eating," Hermione finished with a grumble before leaving the room and slamming the door behind her.

How could Malfoy possibly think that years of emotional torture could be erased by one simple change? Hermione has always been understanding and she understood that Malfoy saw a way out that didn't end in him dying so he took it. Simple as that.

Malfoy felt a little sting but chalked it up to his ego being hurt at the fact that Granger didn't need his help on a more complicated potion. And second year? Yeah right, like she had any place to keep a potion like that in second year. But Draco just continued reading and nibbling off his food for the next hour before deciding to help Granger clean the place up a bit. Draco stepped out onto the landing and waved his wand, dust disappeared and ancient knick knacks cleaned themselves. He went down to the next flight and did the same, it was a spell he learned from his mother who never liked to leave all the cleaning for the house elves.

He came to a halt at a door and squinted before waving his wand to clean a plaque on the door. Regulus Arcturus Black. A typical Black family name, Malfoy thought before proceeding downstairs.

"How could you have such a simple last name like Black and decide to make your child's first two names Regulus Arcturus?" Draco scoffed aloud, and Hermione whipped her head around.

"Oh my God!" she shouted, standing up straight and looking at Draco, "What did you just say?" Hermione asked, walking towards the boy. Her eyes gleamed and Draco could practically see her brain moving at a hundred miles a minute.

"I uh... Regulus Arcturus Black," Draco started and Hermione grinned widely.

"Harry! Ron! Come here now," Hermione shouted and the boys came running faster than Draco would have expected. She looked to Draco again, "Tell them."

"Regulus Arcturus Black." Draco was becoming tired of this, but the boys didn't understand what Granger was on about either. Both Gryffindor boys had dumbfounded looks on their faces.

"R.A.B." Granger had to explain, and Harry was the first to react, Ron following after. "He said it when he came down and that must be it," Hermione continued, but Draco still had no clue what all of this was about.

"Anyone care to explain?" Draco mumbled and Ron rolled his eyes, plopping down on the couch with a smirk.

"Can't tell you," the redhead chuckled and looked at Hermione, who wasn't nearly as please anymore and decided to go back to cleaning.

"It's uh... we were trying to figure out initials for something. It makes sense because he was a Death Eater who changed his mind as well," Harry explained, and Draco accepted that it was as much of an explanation as he would be getting anytime soon. He nodded and went to the kitchen to find something to drink.

Should Draco feel offended? It was honestly as if Harry felt bad for him, and he hated feeling pitied normally. But he was safe. He couldn't jeopardize his safety or his mother's safety right now. Especially given the Dark Lord's plans for the year.

Was that all he was to them? A job, a Death Eater? No one thought his decision was noble, no one was praising him. It was then that Draco realized that you don't always get praise for simply doing the right thing, and that you can't expect people to forget about their bully, even if they have changed. Harry made the welcome somewhat easy for him, but Ron and Hermione showed him the reality of the situation.

But in Draco's heart, he wasn't sure he'd want to make amends with them. Harry was still a git, Ron was an idiot and way too hot headed for Draco to even want to deal with, and Hermione was a know it all bookworm who always had to win arguments. This is temporary, Draco thought, and as soon as the Dark Lord is defeated he would run away to... well who knows where but away from here, that was for sure.

After a long day, Draco was heading up to his room and saw Granger hunched over a cauldron and stirring it. "You sure you don't need any help?" Draco asked once more, eager to show his skills. But why? He knew he was good, why was it so important for him to show Granger he knew his potions. She rolled her eyes and let out a groan.

"It's supposed to have changed color and I can't get it quite right. We need it in three days," Hermione explained, stepping back and allowing Draco to skim the text with his eyebrows furrowed. Hermione watched him intently, wanting to learn from her mistake, and Draco glanced at the ingredients before straightening up.

"You forgot the knotgrass, so you need to stir counterclockwise seven times and add it slowly, then stir clockwise four times. Would you like to do it?" Draco gave a tiny smirk, not because he was better than her, but because he knew she'd want to fix it herself. Hermione nodded with a shy smile and stepped forward, following Draco's instructions.

"I uh... I'll be in bed if you need any more help," Draco mumbled as he remembered where he was and the talk he had with himself about all of this. But then again, what was so bad about trying to be civil? It would make time go by faster and things would be a little less miserable. But he couldn't get too close.

Draco lay in bed that night staring at the ceiling, and he swore he heard footsteps outside of his door shortly after he got to his room. It was probably just a house elf, he reassured himself. But house elves didn't wear slippers, Draco tried his best to push this thought to the back of his mind.


	3. Three

Three

The next few days were quiet, until the night before the group was supposed to raid the Ministry. Draco still thought it was the most awful idea he'd ever heard, however the Gryffindors were insistent and pushed Draco's opinion off because they believed it didn't matter.

"McGonagall made me sign a contract saying that a member of the Order would keep an eye on Draco at all times. Clearly we can't bring him with us, and I will not be the one to stay here and watch him," Harry mumbled. Draco was on a landing snooping a few stories up, and the trio were in the living room discussing their game plan for the next day.

"Well I sure as hell won't be stuck here with that git, must be you Hermione," Ron shrugged as if leaving the brains out of the mission was an easy decision.

"What Ron means is... this could be dangerous. The Ministry is hunting Muggle-Borns right now and if you were to slip up it could be bad," Harry tried to remedy the situation.

"Excuse me? You think I want to be cooped up in this house with that slimy bastard while you two are off parading yourselves through the Ministry of Magic?" Hermione argued, her voice a tad shrill, Draco noted.

"Well, we think it would be better because Harry has to go. This is his mission from Dumbeldore. And if I were to stay here, me or Malfoy would end up killing each other anyways because he's a pain in the arse," Ron countered. Hermione didn't feel like arguing this one so much, so she stood up and grabbed her blanket and the book she was reading and took the stairs.

"Yeah I'll just do all the work for you two and then get holed up in here like a prisoner!" Hermione shouted. "And in case you haven't noticed, Harry, the Ministry is more set on finding you than a stupid mudblood," she yelled before stomping her way up the stairs.

Ron came running after her and tried to grab her arm, "Hermione, it's just this one time. We can switch next time if you want," Ron offered, and Hermione ripped her arm away and proceeded up the stairs into another guest room and slammed the door. Draco jumped a bit and was flustered because he obviously wasn't supposed to hear this, and then came more secrets.

"We have to get the locket tomorrow Ron. We can't call this off now. You could stay here too if it makes you feel better," Harry offered, but Ron grumbled.

"No way that I'm staying here. I'm going with you," Ron decided firmly. Draco felt a bit bad honestly, the poor girl just wanted some recognition and to be accepted even in her own friend group. The Sytherin stood up and quietly tiptoed down the stairs and walked to the door Granger had slammed, pausing and listening to soft whimpers. Draco bit his lip and sucked in a breath when he heard footsteps within the room and darted back up to his own room within seconds.

That night was a bit easier for Draco to sleep, he got four solid hours before his nightmares woke him up in a cold sweat, gasping for air as he tried desperately to relax before anyone heard him. He'd have to ask someone for ingredients to brew a dreamless sleep potion. But that was for another day.

Within a few hours Draco heard the usual hustle and bustle of the house, however it was not accompanied by the usual chatter that normally occurred. He stayed in his room until he heard Weasley and Potter saying goodbye to the bookworm and quietly made his way downstairs in hopes of some breakfast.

"I made pancakes and bacon. You're probably tired of it by now but we can't shop until tomorrow," Granger shrugged before plating some up for Draco and pouring him a cup of coffee. Without thinking, she poured in some cream and two sugars before letting out a sigh.

"Is cream and sugar okay?" Granger asked him, and he rolled his eyes. He took the cup and sipped it. Truthfully, it was exactly how he liked his coffee, but he'd never admit that for her.

"I guess I can deal with it," he smirked, and sat down across from her as they both began to eat.

"Where are the other two imbeciles?" Draco asked in an attempt to make small talk. The girl before him tensed up and her jaw clenched.

"They had to run errands," Hermione told him, not wanting to give away information and also not wanting to talk about it. Draco gave an airy laugh and raised an eyebrow.

"And they had an easy time leaving you behind, yes? I'm assuming they're at the Ministry right about now," Draco chuckled, and Hermione stood up, the legs of her chair scraping meanly against the floor as she picked her plate up and nearly threw it onto the counter. The girl's eyes watered as she stomped away, and Draco got up to follow her.

"Why so touchy? Something happen between you and the Weasel last night?" Draco asked, and part of him wanted to make it better but it was programmed into him to make everything worse. He used legilimency that his Aunt had taught him last summer and delved into Granger's mind, when Ron has chased after her last night he grabbed her wrist hard. He hurt her, and Draco looked at the tiny girl in front of him. She knew what Draco had seen, and when the Slytherin glanced down at her arm, it was bruised.

"He didn't mean it. Don't you ever go into my mind again," Granger cried, tears streaming down her face as she ran back to the room she'd been in last night. Draco felt... well he still felt Granger's residual emotions from legilimency, and he also just felt bad to put it plainly. Granger had feelings for the Weasel.

Draco wasn't positive at first how she could feel for him after that, until he thought about his own mother. Draco couldn't remember the first time his father had hurt her. If it came to it, he would defend Granger if it ever happened again. He owed that much to his mother at least, she never cared about blood purity. Draco made that promise to himself and went up to his room because this was going to be a long day and he hoped to nap most of it away.

Hours ticked by, and soon there was a frantic knock on his door, he got up and opened it, eyebrows furrowing. Draco's heart pounded as he listened, the Death Eaters were downstairs. Where were Potter and Weasley? Did their unwanted guests know Draco was here? These were questions to ask later. For now he immediately flicked his wand to gather his items and slipped his shoes on.

"Malfoy, Harry and Ron accidentally brought Death Eaters here and we need to go," Hermione whispered. She accio'd her bag and waited a short time for Draco to gather his things before taking his hand and apparating them.

"Did they see you? Please tell me they didn't," Harry groaned when they all met together a block over. Hermione shook her head and it registered that she never let go of Draco's hand, and she quickly snatched her hand away before taking a deep breath.

"No, I don't think they saw us. So what happened?" Hermione asked as she took Harry and Ron's hands instead, and Harry grabbed Malfoy's arm. The boys shrugged and avoided the question. Hermione apparated them once more, and they landed in the middle of a forest.

"Where are we gonna sleep out here?" Ron moaned, rolling his eyes as he spun in a circle. Hermione let out a frustrated sigh and reached into her bag before she pulled out the tent from the quidditch World Cup.

"I came prepared, give me a little credit Ronald," Hermione mumbled, flicking her wand and watching the tent expand. Draco had to give the witch props, he waited until the other two made their way into the tent and threw a smirk her way with a nod before glancing around.

"We should probably set some protective charms," Draco suggested, and Hermione nodded her head quickly with one last glance at the tent. The two began walking a perimeter, setting all the charms and spells they knew to ward off unwanted visitors and hide their location. They worked in silence until they met up at the other side of their circle, nodding at each other before heading inside.

Ron and Harry were sitting at the table, leaning over something that Draco couldn't quite see, but Hermione seemed to know what it was an cleated her throat. Harry quickly grabbed whatever it was and stuffed it in his pocket, trying his best to look innocent. Draco caught a glint of gold but it was gone as quick as he'd seen it. It must be the locket the boys mentioned the night before.

"The protective barrier is up, we'll have to check on them daily and I suggest we take turns keeping watch," Hermione announced, and the boys all nodded in agreement. Draco wasn't sure if they would trust him to keep watch, but he was ready to do so if he was asked.

"Shall we choose our bunks, then?" Harry asked, and was met with a few more nods as they went to the sleeping area of the tent. Both Harry and Ron wanted the bottom bunks, so Draco and Hermione were stuck with the top ones to which Hermione felt a bit left out once again but shrugged the feeling off.

"So what happened to you two?" Hermione asked her friends who launched into an animated story of how they disguised themselves and managed to sneak into the courtrooms to get 'it' which Draco still wasn't positive of what it was, and as soon as their polyjuice began wearing off Death Eaters were on their tail and grabbed a hold of Ron as they apparated away. It seemed odd to Draco that they didn't want to talk about this all before, however he let it go.

The day quickly faded into night and Harry was the first set on watch duty. Draco lay in his bunk skimming a text book while he listened in on Ron and Hermione's conversation nearby, their voices hushed.

"Come on Hermione, I said I'm sorry," the sound of Ron's voice made Draco's blood boil as he stared up at the top of the tent. Not much could be heard a few moments after that but the howling of the wind and the rustling of the trees in the breeze.

"I said no Ronald. You hurt me," the sound of Hermione's voice danced its way to Draco's ears. He swallowed and attempted to breath quieter so he could hear the pair better.

"You know I didn't mean to," the Weasel mumbled and Draco couldn't help but to roll his eyes. Draco heard footsteps coming his way and he pretended to be asleep, peeking out of one eye to find Hermione crawling up into her bunk.

Another few silent moments passed by, Draco's gut tightening as he looked over at the girl who was currently crying softly.

"You don't need that," Draco mumbled and it frightened Hermione. She sneered at him before turning on her side to face away from him, hair flying out behind her.

"I'm serious. He's too dumb for you," Draco continued and he wasn't exactly sure why, but he wasn't lying to her just to make her feel better. It was the truth.

"You're a slimy git, why would I listen to you anyways?" Hermione hissed, turning to look at him with a fire in her eyes. Draco rolled his eyes and it was his turn to curl on his side with his back to the witch. He couldn't force her to believe him, she had to see it herself.

AN/ Sorry for the slight delay on this chapter! I've had a super busy week but it's also been very productive and I hope to have the next chapter out within a week. Thank you all for reading this far, and please feel free to review (:


	4. Four

A couple weeks had gone by and the leaves had fallen from the trees, the breeze now blew with a chill and the sun wasn't quite enough to keep warm. The mornings left the ground covered in a frost that Hermione was now trying to clear from the ground near their tent.

"Mione, what's for breakfast?" Rom grumbled, rubbing a hand across his stomach. Hermione stomped her foot and glared at Ron before continuing what she started.

"Make yourself something," Hermione hissed, she clearly still hadn't forgiven the boys completely, Ron in particular. The boy returned to the tent and rolled his eyes at Harry who was coming to relieve Hermione for watch duty.

"Why don't you go warm up?" Harry suggested, and Hermione nodded her head. Ron was sat at the table listening to his radio and Hermione passed him and went to her bunk, glancing at Draco before she lay down.

"I uh... hate to bother you. Would you be able to help me find these ingredients?" Draco asked softly, showing a piece of parchment to Hermione, who narrowed her eyes.

"Dreamless sleep?" Hermione asked, raising an eyebrow and cocking her head to the side. The Slytherin thought she wouldn't put two and two together, this was very dim of him. Malfoy sighed and nodded his head, and Hermione honestly wasn't shocked. She heard him tossing and turning at night.

"I'll take care of it," Hermione told him as she handed the parchment back, her fingers brushing up against his warm ones.

"You're cold," Draco mumbled, grabbing his blanket and handing it to the girl, "I put a heating charm on it. Borrow it as long as you'd like," Draco offered, and Hermione hesitantly took the token of gratitude.

"I'll be in the kitchen," Malfoy mumbled as Hermione curled over on her side and pulled the blanket over herself. The blanket was one of the softest she'd ever felt and a soft aquatic scent filled her senses, tropical but calming. It was almost too easy for the girl to fall asleep this way.

Draco made his way to the kitchen and began to make toast, it wasn't much but it was breakfast. He decided to cut up an orange and make some coffee as well, serving the food onto two plates and into two cups before bringing them back to the room and setting one next to Hermione. He gave her a little shake and she woke immediately, glancing between the food and Draco.

"What's this?" Hermione asked, her short sleep seemed to help her as the dark circles had begun to disappear. Draco shrugged and began eating.

"I figured you're tired of doing all the cooking, we all know Weasel wouldn't step up and do it and Potter would probably burn the place down," Draco mumbled. But the real reason he did it was because he wanted a friend. Someone he could just be nice to who wouldn't judge him for everything. However Hermione did judge him and they'd never been nice to each other before.

After a while, Potter came bursting into the bunks and ripped a gold locket off his neck. Hermione sat up looking concerned and climbed down from her bunk.

"Hermione, I figured it out!" Harry nearly shouted at the girl as they stepped away from Draco. Their voices quieted down before Harry continued, "Some goblins walked past, they were talking about how the sword of Gryffindor has been stolen from them," Harry whispered, and Draco took the second of pause to cast a spell that allowed him to hear a bit better.

"Okay and?" Hermione asked as Harry nearly shoved the locket in the girl's face and grinned wildly.

"All I have to do is find the real sword and we can destroy this," Harry explained, and Draco wasn't sure why they would want to destroy the locket but he was going to figure out.

That night, it was Ron's turn to keep watch and he also seemed very irritated for some reason as Hermione hunched over a cauldron that she wouldn't explain the contents.

"I don't have to tell you anything, Ronald. You don't own me," Hermione hissed, and the boy's face went red with anger as his figure towered over the curly-haired witch.

"You've been distant from me lately. You're not still bent over us not letting you come to the Ministry with us, are you?" Ron grumbled, hands in fists. This really seemed to upset the witch who stood up and pushed Ron away from her.

"You didn't 'not let' me do anything for starters," Hermione shouted, "You're not the boss of me Ronald, you're not anything to me. I allowed you to go with Harry and decided to stay back because I knew you were too dumb not to start a fight with Draco," Hermione nearly screamed and that truly pissed Ron off.

"I'm not dumb," was all Ron managed to say as he stepped closer to Hermione and pushed the girl back. Hermione fell to the floor and her eyes watered as she pulled her wand, but sooner than she could Draco had appeared from the bunks and had sent a jinx to knock Ron back onto the floor as he walked over to Hermione to help the witch up.

Draco could tell Hermione didn't need him. He knew she could have handled this but he wanted to. "Are you okay?" Draco asked her and she shook her head and pointed her wand at Ron.

"You insolent little prat," Hermione hissed, eyes narrowing before Draco put a hand on her shoulder. He used legilimency not to see her thoughts but to place one in her mind.

Don't do anything you will regret.

Hermione's eyebrows furrowed and Ron took the moment to stand and yank the locket off his neck and whip it at the witch before Harry came running in.

"What's going on?" Harry asked, rubbing his eyes and looking at the situation unfold.

"You guys don't need me. I'm leaving," Ron growled before disapparating. Hermione let out a cry and put her hand over the spot on her ribs where the locket had hit her. Draco pulled her close and she had no time to protest before she started sobbing. Harry started at the two for a moment before deciding it best to pick the locket up and take Hermione's turn for watch duty. Maybe then he could piece together what happened in his brain.

"Come here, let's move to the couch," Draco whispered, and Hermione sniffles and nodded, releasing the man from her grip as she relocated. Why was Hermione allowing the Slytherin to comfort her? She couldn't give herself an answer but it made her feel like her emotions weren't as rash as she'd thought if Draco was siding with her.

"Give me a minute okay, I promise I'll be quick," Draco put a hand on her shoulder for a second and suddenly every ounce of hate he's ever had for the girl flooded away. He had always been jealous of Hermione, perfect grades and perfect friends. However things were not always as they seemed. Draco left the room to gather a couple mugs of hot chocolate, a few blankets and pillows, and a book he'd been reading.

"Alright, here we are," Draco have a tiny smile and Hermione didn't want to let herself think about how this was the boy who'd tortured her for her entire Hogwarts career. But right now he was helping. Ron had tortured her the past few weeks and Draco had done nothing but help her. Sometimes your friends change right? That was all a part of growing up.

Draco set a few pillows down and lay across the couch, and Hermione gave him a funny look before he grinned and pulled the girl on top of him as if they'd been friends forever. Draco draped a fleece blanket across them and settled Hermione in so they could both look at his book.

"What are we doing?" Hermione asked quietly, she could feel the beat of Draco's heart against her shoulder blade and it made her breathing a bit uneasy.

"We're reading, I thought a witch as smart as you could have guessed that much," Draco whispered, reaching down to wipe Hermione's cheeks before opening the first page of the book. "Think of this as my chance to start over, if you'd be so kind as to grant me one," Draco suggested, and Hermione gave a hesitant nod before her eyes began darting across the pages before her.

The pair kept each other warm under their blanket and Hermione was the first to fall asleep, Draco watching her for a bit after before he finally set his book down and settled in. Her golden curls sprawled across his chest, her chestnut eyes that were now closed and guarded by voluminous lashes, and her pink, pouty lips parted ever so slightly as she breathed lightly; she was beautiful.

Draco couldn't remember when he fell asleep however when Hermione got up in the middle of the night he woke. She stared at him silently for a second and he sat up with her.

"I have to go stir your potion," she whispered and left. Draco sighed and decided to get some fresh air so he stepped out of the tent, the cool air brushing across his cheeks.

Draco met eyes with Potter who looked incredibly drowsy. He sat down next to him and let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

"I can keep guard if you want. You can trust me," Draco assures Harry who shrugged his shoulders.

"It's not that I don't trust you because after tonight I do. I just wanted some alone time to think," Harry told the man next to him. Draco nodded his head in understanding.

"I uh... I don't know what happened really. She just was so upset and it hurt me as well. I wanted to help her and I think she could sense that," Draco explained trying to justify his actions as something a friend would do.

"You did a good job, I'm glad we have someone that can understand her," Harry grinned and patted Malfoy's shoulder with a bit of joy. Malfoy shrugged and closed his eyes as he leaned his head back.

"This uh... this is important. We have to destroy this," Harry told Draco, wrapping the locket around the Slytherin's neck. Draco could feel a certain energy buzzing from the object as it lay across his chest, a very bad energy.

"Slytherin's locket?" Draco asked, looking down at the necklace and furrowing his eyebrows.

"It's a... maybe we'll save this conversation for later Draco. I'm very tired," Potter mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. Draco nodded and dismissed the boy while he sat in his chair to guard their fortress.


	5. Five

The next day was awkward, to put it simply. Harry spent his time trying to keep out of the way, Hermione had her nose buried in a book in attempt to ignore Draco, and the blonde boy was sitting at the dining table while he stared at Hermione, hoping the girl would crack and thank him for his help.

Draco finally got up and walked over to the stubborn Gryffindor girl and nodded his head at her. "How is your side?" Draco asked softly, sitting next to her on the couch, and at first Hermione stayed silent as if to act like she hadn't heard the man, however she decided that was a bit immature and closed her book.

"Why do you care?" Hermione asked, but there was no hint of hostility in her voice— she was genuinely curious. Draco gave a smile and shrugged.

"Guess I finally woke up and saw I was fighting a losing battle, and for opinions that are not even my own," Draco explained, and the pair remained silent for a few moments.

"It bruised pretty bad," Hermione finally spoke, lifting the side of her shirt up to reveal a golf ball sized bruise with a couple scrapes that appear to have been closed up by magic. Draco reached a hand forward and brushed his fingers across the skin near her injury and his eyebrows knitted together.

"He probably didn't want to hurt you. He's got brothers and is used to all the rough-housing," Draco mumbled and Hermione spent a minute trying to figure out why Draco was defending Ron. She was so irritated at the boy that she didn't want to even hear Draco out, but she listened, "There's no denying he cares about you Granger, he's just not sure how to show it like most people. Hell, I'm not sure how to show much love because I grew up with... well you've met my parents," Draco sighed.

Hermione sink into the couch just as Harry came in and sat across from them in an armchair. He looked hesitant to speak, and opened his mouth a few times before finally speaking.

"I think we need to go to Godric's Hollow," Harry met Hermione's eyes before continuing, "I mean to say that I think another Horcrux could be there," Harry explained, and Draco's eyes widened. He'd heard the term before from his father, but never knew that anyone had them.

"He's... he's got a horcrux?" Draco asked, eyes staring deeply at Harry as the boy nodded and pulled the locket off.

"He's got seven. I destroyed one already, and this is one," Harry explained, "We reckon the snake must be one, but other than that we're at a bit of a loss," Harry explained and Hermione decided now was a good time to get up and make something to eat for the three of them.

"But a horcrux... you split your soul. You mean to tell me he's done it seven times?" Draco asked incredulously, eyebrows lifting. This was extraordinary magic, and to have performed it seven times... well it was no wonder You Know Who was so messed up. The damage it does to split your soul even once was enough to kill a human, however Draco supposed Voldemort wasn't completely human to begin with.

"And I believe only indestructible magic is able to destroy them, that's probably why the Gryffindor sword can do it because it's made by Goblins," Draco explained, eyes gazing at nothing in particular as he tried to process this information. Harry nodded and the pair sat in silence until Hermione returned with food, both men thanked her before tucking in.

Draco had never been to Godric's Hollow before, coming from a family of proud Slytherins it was pointless, however he didn't mind the thought of visiting there. Many strong wizards and witches were raised there, it was a historical place.

The rest of their afternoon went by rather fast, Draco and Hermione both read into horcruxes and Harry looked up any spell that could destroy one. With no luck, Harry approached Hermione with a groan and threw himself into the armchair next to her.

"You know we've got to change our location," Harry told her, and the look in the witch's eyes became glassy. Ron wouldn't know where to come back to, she wasn't sure why she was still holding onto the hope that he would return. Draco held his breath and held his hand out for the locket, they wore it when they guarded the tent, and excused himself from the situation. It was obvious Granger still had feelings for Weasley, however Draco simply couldn't bear watching him hurt her over and over again as if it was a guarantee that she'd always come back to him.

After a few long hours of guard duty, they decided to pack up their tent and stood facing each other with hesitancy. Harry was the first to put his hand out, then Draco on top of his, and after a few more silent seconds, Hermione's hand joined theirs and Draco felt his gut being pushed in as they apparated to a different forest. Hermione fell to her knees and Harry immediately went to comfort her, Draco however quickly got to work on the protective charms around their camping location.

While Draco was setting enchantments, his thoughts wandered as he couldn't help but to think about what this year would have been like had he stayed at Hogwarts. Death Eaters forcing him to curse first years, children. Although if he thought about it for a second, he was a child. They were all children who were forced to grow because of the war.

Across the country, Ron was sitting at the kitchen table with his mother eating some breakfast, just as Narcissa Malfoy entered the room in a light blue dressing gown.

"Oh, I didn't know anyone would be here, I'm sorry sorry," she mumbled, making to exit before Mrs. Weasley placed a kind hand on her shoulder.

"No need to change if you're comfortable deary. We don't have any rules in this house about what you wear, so long as you're dressed," Mrs. Weasley winked. She knew how pure blood traditions worked, she remembered not being able to come out of her room for breakfast until she was fully dressed and her hair pinned back neatly.

"Mrs. Malfoy?" Ron furrowed his eyebrows, and he remembered Harry telling him that Malfoy had conditions to their deal. His mother must have been a condition. As much as he wanted to hold a grudge against the Slytherin, he understood that most of Draco's anger was motivated by his father. Ron didn't necessarily like the new arrangements, however he supposed he could live with them until he could find a way back to Harry and Hermione.

"I thought you were supposed to be with my son and the other two," Mrs. Malfoy furrowed her eyebrows as she took a plate of food graciously from Molly. Ron pushed his eggs around his plate and shrugged his shoulders.

"I got into it with Hermione," he mumbled, and Molly let out a soft chuckle before grabbing her dishes and bringing them to the sink so she could start the washing. With a flick of her wand, the plate began to wash itself. What would his mother think if she had known what Ron had done to Hermione? He wasn't raised that way, and surely she'd kill him if she knew. But everyone knew Ron had anger issues, even Ron surprised himself sometimes when he acted upon them. He loved Hermione, but she'd never forgive him for this, not fully.

"I'm sure you'll hear from them soon, Ronald. They are probably very upset you left," Molly told him before deciding to start the laundry. It was a horcrux hunt, now Ron's new task was to figure out how to get back to the group.

 **AN: I'm so sorry it's been a while, life's been super busy for me and a little crazy, but I completed this chapter and I have half of the next one written already so hopefully I'll be able to update soon. I hope you all enjoy!**


	6. Six

Six

Hermione was unusually quiet for the remainder of the day, she set herself on figuring out a way to allow the tent door to stay open, but to keep the cool air out so they could stay warm. The fireplace was lit and Malfoy was looking for firewood when Harry approached Hermione.

"Maybe we could write Ron, give him a clue as to where we are," Harry suggested, eyebrows raised. Hermione immediately shook her head and let out a quiet sigh.

"The ministry will find us. We cannot write anything that could give away our location because our owls could be intercepted," Hermione explained as if she had told him a trillion times before. In reality, it was just her common sense and being able to put two and two together.

"What if I apparate to the Burrow and bring him back?" Harry asked, a bit more desperate. Things were hard for him without his other best friend, life got boring because he couldn't carry a conversation with Hermione or Malfoy without them thinking he was an idiot.

"And risk you being seen? I think not," Hermione rolled her eyes as she waved her wand to set a charm around the door. From outside, she reached a hand in with a sigh of relief and sat back down on the stool.

"I uh... there's going to be a meeting two days from now. Professor McGonagall said she thinks I should go," Malfoy butted into their conversation. Harry furrowed his eyebrows. Both Gryffindors knew they shouldn't mention what type of meeting, as they both knew anyways.

"I thought we were meant to be hiding you away," Harry asked, and Malfoy shrugged his shoulders. This was practically going to hand Malfoy over to the Death Eaters.

"I thought so too, but she came up with my story already and it's quite brilliant if you ask me. But anyways, I can always see if he's around and bring him back after," Draco offered, and the two Gryffindors peeled up immediately.

"That's perfect! Well just have to figure out the logistics of you apparating and giving you a landmark so you know how to get back," Hermione grinned, but why exactly was she excited to get Ron back? The same man who had bruised her on a few recent occasions.

Who knows if Ron would even want to come back? This whole plan could crash and burn but their hopes were up and they had to try. Two days from know they should have at least one horcrux destroyed and this should make Ron feel better about this adventure. Hermione thought it was too good to be true.

Tonight they were to head off to Godric's Hollow, they all set to prepare themselves with information that could be helpful.

"It says here Bathilda Bagshot lives there," Harry mumbles, putting two and two together and eyes widening, "Maybe Dumbledore left her the sword, we have to visit her and see if she knows anything," Harry explained, and Hermione agreed with him. It was a very good idea, especially because Bathilda was pretty close to Dumbledore. Even if she didn't have the sword, she could still be of help to their mission.

Harry pulled out his invisibility cloak so they could apparate under it and scope the area out first, and when they were ready, they all stood under it, feet sticking out as they apparate. Draco cast a disillusionment charm to hide their feet and Hermione's eyes widened. That was difficult magic to master but Draco cast it with ease.

"This is it?" Harry whispered, the sound of bells and a choir singing was all they could hear, the snow on the ground muffled almost everything else.

"It's Christmas," Hermione whispered, and Harry's eyes scanned the area. This is where his parents lived? It was beautiful, he couldn't help but imagine a different life here in this village.

"I'll meet you two at Bathilda's in fifteen minutes," Draco mumbled, casting a charm upon his whole body and before anyone could protest, he was gone. Harry's eyes stopped on two graves marked with his parents names. Hermione waved her wand and handed Harry a bouquet of flowers to place along the headstones, Harry's expression unreadable at the moment but she knew exactly what was going on with his emotions. This was a lot for him, and though he'd been eager to visit these graves, it weighed on him like a ton of bricks. Hermione was looking around before her eyes came to a halt at the sight of a name.

"Ignotus Peverell," she whispered, the symbol on his grave was remarkably familiar to her but she couldn't figure it out. It was after a couple more minutes that she remembered it from her book that Dumbledore had left her. "We've got to get moving Harry," Hermione whispered, and they began walking down the street before seeing a small shack left in ruins. There was a sign that listed Harry's parents names and the boy stopped and stared. Hermione felt her stomach turn and her chest became heavy as she put an arm around her friend.

Harry remained silent for a moment or two before his head snapped to look to their left. A dark figure was approaching them, and Hermione recognized the woman as Bathilda Bagshot. Harry could swear that she could see them even under the cloak, and the pair held their breath. The woman held up a hand, signaling to the Gryffindors to follow her, and Harry decided this was good enough. They found who they were looking for. Hermione couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, how could she possibly see through invisibility cloaks? Although it was a skill Dumbledore had mastered, and Moody had been able to as well so she supposed she could let it slide.

"Are you Bathilda?" Harry asked, the woman nodded and opened the door to a shack without saying a word. When they entered the house, an awful smell punched them in the face, as if there was meat left to rot on the kitchen counter. Harry noticed a photograph of a man, the man who had stolen the wand from Gregorovitch.

After some time, the woman beckoned for Harry to follow her up the stairs, and Harry looked at Hermione before slipping off the cloak and following her.

"Do you have the sword of Gryffindor?" Harry asked, and the woman didn't answer, Hermione all of a sudden felt very suspicious. Harry had left her alone downstairs, so she decided to open the door and wait for Draco on the door step. Minutes passed and the boy finally showed up, nose pink as he stepped inside with Hermione. A loud noise came from upstairs along with yells from Harry and the pair ran up to see what was going on.

"He's coming Hermione! He's coming!" Harry shouted, and Hermione flicked her wand, sending whatever she could think of at a snake that had itself wrapped around Harry, biting his arm.

Draco's eyes widened and he realized they had to go immediately, so he grabbed Harry and Hermione and Apparated them back to the Forest of Dean, a shrill laugh echoing in their minds as Voldemort must have been close, within the same room. When they arrived at their destination, Hermione immediately got to work on Harry's bite and Draco collapsed to the ground, his head pounding from the work that it took to use occlumency and block out the Dark Lord in hopes that the man wouldn't know he was there.

"We'll need some time to rest, this was obviously not a good idea so we'll have to think through our next steps, but for tonight we rest," Hermione said, mostly to herself but the boys both took the information in.

The group made their way into the tent for a bit of food, and Harry was the first to go to sleep afterwards. Hermione was at the table skimming through a book and attempting to find any information about how to fix Harry's wand, and Draco was stood in the doorway of the tent, arms crossed over his chest as he watched the night sky.

"I uh.. I went to a small shop nearby to get my mother a gift since I'm seeing her in a couple of days," Draco shared quietly, normally not the type to be so open. "I got you this, thought you would like it," he mumbled, shoving a parcel Hermione's way before pulling the locket over his neck and stepping outside for watch duty.

Hermione reached forward and grabbed the parcel, eyes glancing at the door quickly before she opened it. The first thing she saw come from the parcel was a beautiful golden quill with small rubies and diamonds along the sides of it, she held it in her hand expecting it to way a ton, but it was incredibly light.

The next thing Hermione saw was a black leather bound notebook, a few diamonds placed around the corners or the cover. They were both so incredibly beautiful and Hermione couldn't help but wonder why Draco would ever give her such a wonderful and expensive gift. Hermione decided to take her new items and place them carefully under her pillow before laying down and staring at the ceiling.

Meanwhile, Draco was pulling the locket over his head as he sat on the stool outside of the tent, praying that Weasley didn't want to come back with him when the time came.


End file.
